Time for a New Blog

Since becoming Cari Helton I have found that it is time to create a new blog, which hopefully i'll be better at keeping up. so its no longer cari's chronicle it is Helton's Hullabaloo! You can find it at c-jhelton.blogspot.com


see you there!

i'm the worst blogger ever!

I have recently been informed that even though i'm in the middle of a ton of wedding nonsense i should be blogging as well. So here's the big update.....ready?....I'm getting married to the love of my life, man of my dreams James! He's so cute. I just can't wait to be with him forever. We got set up last may by our mutual friends and after months of cross country trips totally over $4000 (I know you don't have to tell me) we got engaged over the Christmas/New Year's time. He moved here in the beginning of February and is using his genius for IT work to make everyone's life a little better at the University of Utah.

We are getting married April 9th and I can't wait! Its going to be the best day ever! I'm excited to start a life with this man who is making all of my dreams come true. He's my best friend and he is the person i am the most myself with him and we make a pretty amazing team.

For those of you who are curious my new name will be Cari Helton, and we are getting married in Utah with a transcontinental wedding tour to follow!

Apron-Palooza!!

Welcome to Apron-Palooza! So last year I got this crazy idea that I should make aprons for people for Christmas! Great idea except I hadn't done any sewing for years and have a tendency to allow projects to get too big and to procrastinate too much. So alas on the 23rd of December and Christmas Eve I was still sewing...but I think it was worth it. I'll let you decide!

The top one was the first one I made. I actually made 2 of the same and they went to some mission companions, hence the strong asian influence. The Christmas apron was for Sister Bowers because I love her so. Hers is also the only Christmas one I made. Maybe more will come in the future.
The Second of the two asian aprons.

This was for Grandma Fawcett. I love it!




















Kristina's jumped out at me like it was meant for her!



































Aunt Janet's is some of my favorite fabric because it was so unique.

And Grandma Gates' makes me think of her when I see it!





















I took a break from sewing for months and finally took it up again for Mackenzie's birthday! This was the easiest of all the fabric combinations to pick out!





And Abby's apron! Great Grandma Fawcett's sewing machine broke just as I was tryng to get it done for her birthday. I think it had something to do with me sewing on Sunday. It still hasn't been able to be fixed and hence confirms my belief that she is haunting it as punishment for my transgression! Luckily I have my own sewing machine here in utah and finally last week finished Abby's apron which is now 8 months late for her birthday and will be mailing it shortly!











Last but not least is mine! The trim fabric for my apron was the catalyst for this whole crazy adventure so i find it funny that it took me a whole year to finally get it done! So there you go...Apron-Palooza is taking a break but I'm sure it will resurface soon!

BOSTON!

So my i'm playing catch up with my blogging...sorry for the delay but here is my trip to boston, ma for a work conference. The conference is the Heart Rythum Society and it is an international conference for the electrophysiology world, and probably the biggest, somewhere around 20,000 people converged on the historic city of Boston and I was one of them! I flew there with a good portion of my team on May 12th and as we were boarding the plane with half of the lab staff, 2 of our attendings, our manager, our service line director and some of our research team, that if we crashed the Uof U hospital would no longer have an EP department. So thanks to the crew of that flight for delivering us safely to Boston!

Well a great week of learning and sight seeing followed and i have some photo documentation to prove it!

Starting with....

The CHEERS BAR!!!!! Classic Show and just a short walk from my hotel! The first night we were there we had dinner at a great sushi place and then walked here! This is the outside of the store that they used for the openning credits the inside was a little different though. When we were in there I saw a priest, no joke, collar and all, which I thought was a little strange for a man of God and all....

...This door may look familiar if you watched the show at all...

Then there was......

...the beauty of old meets new that is everywhere in Boston!

Boston Commons is gorgeous, and this older couple was so cute i snuck a picture! Oh and that's Paul Revere in statue form.

On the last full day in Boston, Steph and I took and old town trolley tour around the city which was perfect! You can take all sorts of pictures and get on and off whenever you choose! This is the Cathedral for the 7th Day Adventiths or the Christian Scientist, I kinda forgot! It was beautiful though!

Fenway Park! Need I Say more!

OLD IRONSIDES!!!!!! Yes I made it! so exciting!

And we just made it to Bunker Hill to snap a picture of the monument before we had to head back to the trolley!

The last stop on our trolley tour was along the Freedom Trail and with in 5 minutes of our hotel. We stopped at the site of the Boston Massacre and where the Declaration of Independence was first read in Boston. (see following picture)

Right across from our hotel, the Omni Parker House, which is the oldest running hotel in the US, was the cemetery where John Hancock(see left) and other essential people in the Revolution(see below).

Paul Revere's Grave

This is Ben Franklin's Parents Grave.

This is Mother Goose! She's real!

Don't worry i worked a little, okay maybe not as much as I should have, but I was in Boston and we had to do some site seeing! I'll do better next year, its only Denver!

New Experiences...

As some or all of you know I am somewhat of a seasoned nurse. I've been in the healthcare field for 9 years and have worked in some not so glamorous areas of the hospital but today was a completely new low for me. When we were preparing to move our patient from the table to her bed she started feeling very sick to her stomach. So as she was begining to make it known that she would be blowing chunks very soon, we were scrambling to get some meds to help relieve her discomfort, and I was valianly holding pressure to keep the puncture wounds we had inflicted earlier from breaking open, she decided to blow! And I was in the direct line of fire. Up the projectile went and then down it came on my arm, and shirt and HAIR!!!
That's right my hair folks, DISGUSTING!!!!!!! I can't believe this happened to me....but it did. And to make matters worse, my co worker, Seth was laughing so hard i thought he was going to pee his pants. So I got cleaned up and changed my scrub top and continued working until i got home and promptly took a shower!

Moral of the story is kids.......nurses sacrifice for their patients way more than anyone else is willing to do.

Sorry!

So sorry that i haven't been keeping this up, but i've been busy! Kristina and i moved into our new apartment with Kenz and we sadly said goodbye to our apartment of 3 years and got a little teary locking the door for the last time. We both felt like we had a lot of great experiences there and learned and grew alot. Along with getting settled, I have been working a ton of hours lately. The heart electricty business is booming in Salt Lake City!



In other really great news my dear little brother has left on his mission! Last week my parents brought him down and we got to go to the Salt Lake Temple together and then the next day take him to the MTC. They have changed things a little there and you just drop them off at the curb and have 1 minute and i'm not joking, to say good bye. Nothing like pulling the bandaide off quick. I miss him and was a little sad to see him leave but I'm so excited for the experiences and growth he will experience. I love reading his letters already!



So work is busy but exciting. I am working on a research paper that I'm submitting to 2 different conferences and which will also be published hopefully. One of the conferences will be in france and i'm hoping my paper gets accepted so i can go and present it at the conference.



In personal news, i meet another young man whom i really like....some friends set us up and we live far apart but we are seeing where things go. I'm actually off to see him in the morning! Florida here I come!!!!

Another Update....

So I'm horrible at this blog thing. I get busy and forget or put it off. Anyway here is a brief synopsis of the last almost 2 months.
1. the new job is still cool, but very busy. We just opened a new lab, with all state of the art equipment. And I get to go to Boston for a Convention next week.
2. I ended the relationship with the boy. To condense down a very long story, it was too much drama for me and he wasn't what i want and deserve.
3. I've started going camping with my friends and we are hoping to do it very often over the summer.
4. My hair is now the longest it's been for a very long time! Yay for patience!

I guess its about time for some pictures...I'll get working on that.

Update......

To all of you who kindly care about my life, I'm sorry that I haven't been good at keeping this up. I got distracted after moving back to Utah and looking for a job. So here is a quick update in and the next week or so I hope to have it all up to date.
Here is the quick and dirty on the last few months......
1. I moved back to Utah, and started looking for a new job.
2. That took a while, but I have started a great new job at the University of Utah in the Invasive Cardiology department. Different kind of nursing, still wearing scrubs, but the best schedule ever! I have come over to the land of the living, i work during the day, and no weekends or holidays either. CRAZY!
3. I met a nice guy who I am very happy with.
4. I went on an awesome cruise to the western caribbean. Pictures coming soon.

I think that covers most of the big events. So for now tonight this will have to do. More details to come my friends, do not fear.

The Snow Storm Part 2

Because of all the afore mentioned snow we have been able to do some excelent snow man building. My brother started on Saturday and made the mommy and then started the daddy snowman. I joined him to finish off the family and make the kid and then the baby. Enjoy!

The Snow Storm.

The state of Washington has been hit this week by one of the biggest snow storms in recent history. I was coming back wednesday morning from Utah and working most of the weekend so my parents suggested that I stay in a hotel up by the hospital so I could walk if i needed to. I stayed in the Crowne Plaza from Wednesday morning until this morning (Monday) working and watching the snow come down for hours and hours. Here is a picture of my view from last night. That is I-5 you are seeing. I was a little nervous about getting home when I saw that I-5 was completely covered. Thankfully my Daddy loves me and he took the train up to the city and came to my hotel to make sure I got home safely. I would like to say that normally I am much better in the snow but Seattle is built on all sorts of hills and they are completely incapable of driving in it and of clearing the roads. Oh yeah we also had freezing rain on Sunday morning so that makes things interesting.

Chistmas Party!

So I was back in Utah and we had a Christmas Party. It was so much fun and we had some great white elephant gifts. Some so good they had to be captured on film.



Melissa ended up with this amazing blowup, spikey, bouncy ball. It held about 10 minutes of fun until.......

it popped! So sad for Melissa.

Kristina loved fishing for candy canes!

Amelia went for the bustier night light, good times at Amelia's house!

And the best present of the night goes to ...........

Melissa's Ode to the Office with a stapler in Jello. Hartley and Seth worked as the great team they are and got to take it home.

We had a great time and hope to see you all there next year!

Update

So yesterday I completed the longest, most painful leg of this silly journey to get a bachelors degree...I took the final for the independent study class I have so lovingly described in previous posts. Now I just need a passing grade on this thing which I think I mamaged. But in all seriousness I may be having my very own tommy boy moment as in "A D? I got a D! I passed!". I didn't put a lot into my studying for this final but I feel that I got a decent grade. At least that D!

Finding Blessings in the Unexpected and Sometimes Irritating.

So the last few months have been a lesson in finding blessing in unexpected ways and being reminded that when you are where the Lord wants you He makes sure you are taken care of. Lets start with the fact that my car is getting old. It will be 9 years old here soon and now has over 98,000 miles on it. It has been a great car, and I love it but as time goes on you have to get some things fixed and it seems that in the last 6 months all of those things have needed fixing. In September I put literally thousands of miles on my car. All were fun, but they add up. Part of all those miles was driving myself to Utah and back one week and this is where the fun begins. The trip was great, the car was fine. I got back to seattle on a saturday and was starting at my new job on Monday. Sunday I spent a lot of time at the hospital with Grandpa and everything was hunky-dory. then on monday i head up to seattle from auburn. As i am getting on to I-405 from SR 167 my instrument panel goes out. Well this had happened before and it was no big deal the car still ran. So i'm driving thinking it will come back at some point. Well i have some extra time so while driving on I-90 i get the idea to pull of and see if i can restart the car and fix the problem for now. Well at the light on the off ramp i turn off the car and she wouldn't turn back on. sad, i know. I had to wait for a tow truck and pay lots of money to get her fixed. But she was back. Then my car got side-swiped while parked at my grandparent's house in a gated community. Nice, no note, no way to find out who did it, i'm stuck covering the cost through my insurance company. then i got new tires and shocks and then just this this last week another problem came up. I had noticed recently that my car was not picking up speed as fast as i would like it too. So last tuesday i had my dad ride in the car and asked him what he thought. He said it was the clutch and that i needed to get it in soon to get it fixed. It just so happened that i was leaving out of town and could have it in the shop on thursday for as long as i was gone. No problem i thought, its still running pretty well and i just have to drive to and from work on wednesday and i'll be golden. Not so fast...I made it to work, no issue, then in the morning i noticed it was harder to drive than normal. but it was cold so i attributed it to that. Safe and sound i got home from Swedish just in time to finish packing and drive to the dealership to get it fixed. Well that is when the fun started. Have you ever tried to drive a car in neutral? I don't suggest it. i pretty much couldn't go any fast than 20 miles and hour and at one point thought i wouldn't make it. this would be a problem because i had a plan to catch. Well i made it and left the keys and my problems with the trusted folks at Bowen Scarf Ford in Kent. A couple hours later at the airport i got a call that my clutch was completely burnt out and that they had to push it in to the bay it wouldn't move from where i parked it. Ooops!

well you may ask where are the blessings? Everywhere. I made it home safely from Utah, driving all by myself. Then i did miss work but nothing too important and they were very understanding. I wasn't near the car or in the car when it got side swiped i was safe. and this last time the car didn't break down on I-5 or in the parking garage at swedish. it waited for me to get to the dealership. Sometimes we have to be reminded about the ways in which the Lord is watching out for each one of us. I learned this lesson very vividly throughout my mission. I learned of His awareness for each and everyone of us, but I think in the last few years i have forgotten them somewhat. I also know that when we are doing what He needs us to be doing He takes care of the rest. Its not always easy, and it may feel like you can't see the blessings but they are there. He promises us that He will always be there sharing the burden, helping us along the way home. At Christmas we get to remember the Savior and all He has done for us. I love Him so much, and feel overwhelmingly blessed and at times unworthy to have the testimony and knowledge i do.

Massages Are A Must!

I got a weekend off finally and got to come down to Salt Lake and get some good friend time in. Part of every trip back to Salt Lake that I make is to go to my favorite eyebrow waxer (you may think that anyone can do this but no, i only like to trust my eyebrows to Suzanne at waxing gurus. If you need someone she is the best!), and to get my hair done. I had managed to get these appointments scheduled within the first 24 hours of my arrival. Let me add at this point that it has made the trip so much more enjoyable. Along with my eyebrow maintainance i thought getting a massage might be a nice treat. Oh ho was i right my friends! now it has been 3 years since my last massage. I always think of getting one but then i decided that i don't know where to find a good massage therapist and i don't want to trust my back to just anyone. Well I know that I love Suzanne at waxing gurus and i have had excelent service there between eyebrows and airbrush tanning so i thought i would give her therapist a shot. And was i right. Her name is Julie and she is the best! Super sweet and thoughtful. The room was warm, and she was patient with my horribly tense back. i have knots on top of knots i think. I would like to add at this point that I did have a very long day before this and had not slept, except for on the plane, in over 24 hours. Also my car almost didn't make it to the dealership and my luggage was 9 lbs over weight that morning and my night at work and been a very emotionally draining one. I was a mess. Well after all the work she did on my back using some great visualizationd techniques and some expert hands my back is feeling better and i believe that i am completely converted to a monthly massage. After 8 years in healthcare and a mission that involved uncomfortable amounts of kneeling and biking my back is a disaster. And since i am only 26 (for 2 more months) i should really take better care of it.

So my advice to all of you, if you can get a massage, and drink lots and lots of water!

Where Am I Going to Live Next Month?

This is the great question on my mind right now. Everything seems up in there air! My plan has been New York in the New Year but that doesn't seem to be working. Partly due to the economy and partly due to the fact that NYC is a popular destination there is only one travel assignment that i have been able to find in the city and that is with several companies. So i have decided to start looking around for other options. Right now i'm still waiting on NYU and I'm in for a job in North Carolina, and six in California. We'll see what happens. Feel free to make your own prediction as to where i'll be next month!

Christmas Parties and Appetizers

The holiday season has arrived and the parties have started. Last night I attended a Christmas party with my parents that was hosted by some friends in our ward. Normally I'm not one to want to hang out with my parents at an adult party but having seen the pictures from last year which included my Dad dancing with a blue feather boa, I felt the desire to experience this party first hand.

Part of the party was bringing an appetizer or dessert. I took on this responsiblity for my family and made these yummy little bites called Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps. Sorry no pictures but they were delicious and here is the recipe.


Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps


1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons chili powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes.

Cut each bacon slice into thirds.

Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick.

Stir together brown sugar and chili powder

Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture.

Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minute or until bacon is crisp.


(from the kitchen of Melanie Bowers)

They are quick and easy and everyone loved them, especially the men. So I hope this can be helpful, and thank you Sister Bowers for the recipe!

Back to the party. Being in room full of people you have known for many years, some since you were 8 years old, acting silly is quite the experience. And I have to say, Mackenzie your Dad rocking out to the walkman he got in the white elephant gift exchange was hilarious. And becareful there is a new knife at your Dad's house that is very sharp. Don't want you to hurt yourself. Also Tina your parents added lots of laughs as contestants on the newly wed game. I think they only got 5 or 10 points. but they said that that was better than they thought they would do. And they also won an old kitchen sink. Nothing says Merry Christmas like really bad white elephat gifts. All in all it was a fun evening that kept me laughing.

Young Womens

Last night I got to revist the Young Women's program in my home ward. A lot of things were the same including the fact that my Dad was with me. It never failed while I was in the youth program that my Dad had a calling the required him to be at the church on activity night. For a few brief months right after I turned 16 Dad was made a High Councilman in the stake and that kept him away but the day before I got my driver's license he was put into the bishopric and there he was joining me once again for our weekly trip to the church. Now I love my Dad and there were some perks to him being there like I was always on time, I never had to wait for a ride home, once he brought a semi truck he was test driving and let me back it up and then took the girls for rides. But I did want the opportunity to drive myself and be like other kids but it never really happened.

Well last night I had been invited by one of my old Young Women's leaders to come and talk with the girls about premature babies and then they were going to do a service project. So I did, we talked about the needs of babies and we watched a short video by the March of Dimes. It was a lot of fun and they got a lot of work done on the fleece blankets they were making for the babies to use. Well you may ask why my Dad was there. The answer is I'm not so good at the technical things and so he came to set up the projector with my computer and the sound so that everything would work out super. Thanks Dad for making it a successful evening and bringing back all those great memories of Activity night together.

Here are the girls working on the blankets and some of the finished products.

The girls did a great job and I know that the parents and babies who benefit from these blankets will be very grateful.

Word to the Wise

Do Not EVER, I repeat for dramatic effect, EVER take an independent study class. Not having a deadline is a major problem for me. I just finished my last assignment for my US government class. I am so excited. Now I only have the final to take. But the shear pain of trying to motivate myself to do all the reading and writing assignments has been one of my more taxing educational experiences.

I am however proud to announce that all that stands between me and my bachelor's degree is a final! What a relief, now i can take my 183 credit hours and like 8 years of school and not change a single thing about my job. I hope this was all really worth it!

I Got Tagged!

so here is the 3rd picture from my 3rd folder. This is Kristina and I at the Brad Paisley concert, now 2 years ago. We had a great time. I'm sorry Kristina, I'm sure you don't love this photo but you look fine and it just happened to be the one. Just for the record if you ever have a chance to go see Brad Paisley in concert you should. And Carrie Underwood was there, and she was Amazing!!!!

So here I go, I have to tag 3 people: Emily, Charlie, and Mackenzie!

My Life List

This year a I saw a movie that prehaps many of you saw, "The Bucket List". In it one of the characters has a list of things he always wanted to do before he died. His new rich friend who is also at the end of his life decides that they are going to do these things. I thought it was an interesting idea to actually write down all of the things you want to do in your life. I think that writing down your goals and dreams helps to make them a reality. I heard a quote once that went something like "a goal not written down is only a wish". Although somethings on what is my "bucket list" my seem like a wish all of them are possible and all of them will enrich my life or the life of others in some way. Some may seem silly but sometimes we need silly. Well months after seeing the movie i was reading an article in Self magazine about creating life lists. They gave advice on how to make your life list something that can help you acheive goals and dreams. So i decided it was time i started writing all these things down, and see how many i can achieve. I thought how better to keep myself motivated than to put it somewhere i will see it often. So i am sharing it with you all. I find this process motivating, and hope that i will be able to keep myself focused by following this list. The list is a living document, able to grow and change as i grow and change. Maybe some of you will want to try this too!

(As a disclaimer these are not written in any particular order. so please do not judge my priorities based on the number they have on my list.)

My life list

1. go to wimbledon
2. find the perfect hair cut.
3. make a difference every day at work in a patient’s life.
4. backpack through Europe
5. own a dog (an English Bulldog to be exact)
6. buy a BMW X5
7. Learn Spanish
8. Go to Africa on a humanitarian trip
9. serve a mission as a couple missionary
10. read the classics
11. learn to truly appreciate Shakespeare
12. know the candidates and vote in each presidential election
13. develop my own retirement fund
14. write a children’s book (even if no one else reads it)
15. make my bed everyday for a month
16. learn to scuba dive
17. swim with dolphins
18. visit the sacred grove
19. finally learn to enjoy running
20. make the perfect exercise playlist
21. live in North Carolina
22. live in New York
23. go to the temple in Japan
24. keep a journal faithfully for 1 year
25. go on a yoga vacay
26. have a perfect day
27. adopt at least one child from a third world country
28. go to graduate school
29. learn to knit
30. go to Greece
31. do temple work for on of my ancestors
32. see the 7 wonders of the world ( I did the research, there are many more but I have pared it down for myself. The Great Wall, the Pyramids, the Tajmahal, the Colosseum, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower, and the Tower of Piz
33. See Mt. Fuji
34. finish my cross stitch project
35. own my own home
36. Read Jesus The Christ
37. Raise a family
38. Be sealed in the temple
39. learn to stick to a budget
40. learn kanji
41. learn Japanese calligraphy
42. find the joy in each day
43. work on not procrastinating
44. create my own lasting, meaningful traditions with my own family.
45. share my testimony with a friend
46. help my children to develop strong, abiding testimonies
47. more to come……